Rise of a Hero
by Alex Skywalker
Summary: "No... Batman can't die." The mantle of a hero is heavy and Robin must choose his destiny: either die to the identity of Robin so that Batman can rise from the ashes- or leave others to deal with the consequences. One-shot. Sequel up! Becoming Batman


**Sequel now published! It's called Becoming Batman.  
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**Hey hey, wassup? So, here's is a one-shot on Robin taking up the mantle of the Dark Knight. We are all imagining that he never became Nightwing till later or something. Yeah, because he does become Batman at some point... I think. Well, here it is:**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Young Justice! Aaah, please don't hurt me! D: NEW A/N: Totally found a story very similar to this one! Aaaah! Please amazing person who wrote it, don't get mad! I didn't mean to! I actually think I read it, but I didn't mean to copy, honest! **

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><p><strong>Rise of a Hero<strong>

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><p>Robin stood, attempting to brush himself off, but not succeeding. His red and black costume was covered in soot and ashes, thanks to the now burned building behind him. A spell of dizziness came over him and Robin leaned against a building until wore off. His left leg throbbed underneath him and he assumed something in it was broken. He laughed at the thought, imagining what Batman would do in his position. He'd say that as long you couldn't see any bones it was little more than a bruise.<p>

A painful bruise, Robin thought as he pushed himself away from the wall and put his full weight on his leg. It groaned underneath him- or else he groaned- Robin wasn't sure which was true. The left side of his face felt stiff and sore also; probably covered in bruises he mused. Tuning into his com, Robin attempted to reach his mentor.

"Robin to Batman. Batman, do you read me?"

No reply. Robin momentarily felt a pang of worry, but brushed it off; this was the Batman they were talking about: there was nothing he couldn't handle. He was probably already off chasing the Joker, wondering when in the world Robin would get there. He cackled to himself, his signature laugh echoing creepily in the dark alley way he stood in. Batman had always said he could rival the Joker in the sadistic laugh category. It never bothered Robin; if anything it made him laugh more.

Pulling up his wrist computer Robin worked on tracking Batman; even if his com was broken, his tracker would still be working. As Robin scanned the screen he was surprised to see the little blue dot surprisingly close. Weird... Robin was sure that Batman would have followed the Joker as soon as he left the scene of the exploding building. Assuming the Joker had gotten away. Robin always assumed that the Joker had gotten away whenever he blew something up, because he always did. Maybe Batman had finally caught him! That would explain why the blue mark representing Robin's mentor wasn't moving. The Batman had finally beaten the Joker at his own game; he'd cornered him and was waiting for Robin to get there so they could take him down together. That would also explain why Batman hadn't tried to make any contact yet: he was expecting Robin to pick up on the queues, not stand around worrying pointlessly.

Giving another cackle Robin took off towards the spot that his wrist computer signaled Batman was. Finally, after all these years maybe they'd catch the Joker once and for all. As long as Robin could remember he and the Batman had been chasing the Joker around Gotham, catching him numerous times but he'd always managed to get away. Not this time, Robin thought with a smug smile, this time he'd pay for everything he'd ever done. This time would be the last time that the Batman and Robin would ever take on the Joker.

Robin could still remember the first time he'd faced off against the Joker. He'd only been nine and it was his third mission under the wing of Gotham's hero. It had been so long ago... Looking back, Robin realized how far he'd come over the past eight years. He was no longer the little boy who trailed after the Dark Knight, cackling mischievously, always annoying the villains with his ability to leap out of the way of their attacks. He smiled at the memory of the faces of Gotham's greatest enemies when he'd managed to foil their carefully- or not so carefully- planned out- well- plans.

He was still known as the Boy Wonder to most, but he knew- even if no one else did- he wouldn't be a boy much longer. He'd grown so much, though he was still small and lean for his age as he was an acrobat, and soon they'd all have to come up with a new name for Batman's sidekick. Sidekick... Robin sighed, looking at the ground as he turned the corner, nearly to Batman's location. How long would he be Batman's sidekick? He loved his mentor like a father but their partnership couldn't really last forever, could it? All his friends, teammates, had grown up and were now heroes of their own, no longer working with their mentors as sidekicks. Nor were they part of the young hero team they'd established together so long ago. Robin missed it immensely; he was the only one left, really, having been the youngest by two years at least. He was barely older than the oldest had been when they'd first started out together.

He thought about all his friends, now under new identities and heroes of their own. As much as Robin hated to admit, he was jealous that they were all living their dream while he, the most experienced, was still only a sidekick. He angrily shoved the idea away; even if Batman offered to let him become his own hero he'd probably refuse anyway- he wasn't ready for it. And it wasn't fair to his friends to think jealously about them. He'd get his chance...

Finally he reached the coordinates where Batman was supposed to be; an alley between two rundown brick buildings. Robin crouched, cautiously peering around the corner, expecting to see the Joker's fiendish grinning face mirrored by the Batman's scowling angry one. Robin had to do a double take as at first glance there appeared to be no one in the alley at all. Confused, Robin glanced down at his wrist computer, double checking the coordinates. It said he was at the right place... Batman's tracker must have fallen off or something-

Robin gasped as his gaze fell on a dark shape near the far side of the alley. Without hesitation he ran as fast as his injured leg would allow towards the mass. Upon approaching it he let out a strangled cry, falling upon his knees next to the prone shape of his mentor. The Batman lay on his side, unmoving, his eyes closed behind his mask. As carefully as he could Robin rolled the Batman onto his back, the hero not responding whatsoever to the movement. He did feel a heartbeat though, however faint. Cautiously Robin assessed the damage done to the Bat.

The part of his face visible beneath the cowl he wore looked burned and he had numerous cuts on his cheeks. The Kevlar suit he wore, normally nearly impenetrable was torn and crushed, heavily stained with blood. But the worst part was his arm. Robin didn't even want to look. Most of the sleeve was gone, but what was left was burned into the flesh, giving it a mottled look. The skin looked completely burned away and the flesh underneath was red and black, and at places Robin could see to the bone.

Though he was ashamed, he looked away from the ruined arm, instead concentrating on the still scowling face of Gotham's hero. Robin could see that one side of his face was more burned than the other, though not nearly as bad as his arm was. Robin assumed that the burns were from the explosion, the thought scaring him as it meant the Bat had been thrown all the way over here from the force of the explosion. There was no way he could have gotten here himself. Gently Robin ran his gloved hand over his mentors face, hoping to bring him back to consciousness. What he saw scared him; he had no idea the extent of the hero's injuries, but he was too afraid to find out. This was the worst Robin had ever seen his mentor.

Hot tears began to pour down Robin's face at his own cowardice. For the first time it dawned on him that maybe Batman wouldn't make it. Now desperate to wake his mentor Robin shook his good shoulder, tempted to call out to him, but as he was unsure where the Joker was, didn't want to risk it. He pushed a button on his wrist, sending a message to the Justice League that help was needed. Robin just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

"Batman, Batman. It's me, Robin." He whispered, trying to stir the hero. "You need to wake up."

As still no response came from the Bat, Robin felt once again tears brimming behind his mask. Batman couldn't die, not like this, not yet.

"Batman, please." He sobbed, still angry at showing such weakness. Batman would never have done such a thing; Batman was strong and fearless, a warrior, a hero.

"Bats, you gotta wake up. The team's coming and they need you. I need you." He said, his greatest fear coming to light. He needed Batman. Without Batman, he was nothing. Batman had taken him and turned him from orphan acrobat to Boy Wonder, sidekick to the great Batman. He'd given him a life when he lacked one. He'd shown him what he could become: a hero.

"Bruce, please." He pleaded, stroking the burned and bloodied face he'd come to know and love so well. "Please."

Bending over, Robin laid his forehead on that of Gotham's hero, salty tears dripping from the boy to his mentor. His father. Then, just as Robin thought he was gone, he felt the hero stir beneath him. Sitting up straighter, Robin held his breath as the Batman opened his eyes, finding himself looking up into the face of his young ward.

"Bruce." Robin sighed, resting his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Robin." He ground out, his voice still that of the gravely Batman. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to- to save you." Robin stuttered, shaking from emotion. "Bats, you gotta be okay." Robin was surprised at how young his voice sounded.

"Robin-" He coughed, wincing. Talking hurt him. "Robin, you- you need to go. Get away from here. Go- go back to the Batcave. It's not safe here."

"Sorry Bats, I'm not leaving you." Robin attempted a smile, but it came out more as a grimace.

Batman looked like he was going to argue, but then he started coughing violently, groaning as it shook his broken body. Blood appeared in mouth and Robin winced, trying to steady the broken hero with his hand.

"Just hang on Bats," he begged. "The League'll be here soon. You can make it."

"No, Robin." He forced out.

"What do you mean 'no'? You're gonna be alright." _You gotta be_, Robin added in his head.

"Take-" more coughing, more blood. "Take my mask off."

Reaching over carefully, Robin gently pulled the mask off the Batman's face, careful not to aggravate his injuries. As the mask came off Robin looked down into the face of Bruce Wayne, his mentor and- yes, his father. The face looked odd; the half under the mask hadn't gotten burned giving it almost a domino-like appearance. Bruce looks up into Robin's face, his dark eyes so full of pain.

"Dick," he choked out, startling Robin by the use of his real name- actually the nickname of his real name. Bruce hadn't called him Dick in years; either he was Richard or Robin. He now remembered how much he liked it when Brice called him Dick. It reminded him of when he was younger and he'd first come to live with Bruce at Wayne Manor. He'd just witnessed his parents falling to their deaths and hadn't said a word since the incident. Though Bruce had said nothing, the two seemed to gravitate towards each other, Robin turning to Bruce for comfort and Bruce for the first time finding the need to care of someone as Bruce Wayne, not just as Batman.

"Dick," he whispered again. Robin took the heroes head in his lap, tears still soaking through his mask.

"Let me look at you, one- one last time." Batman's jaw was tightly clenched and he had a hard time getting the words out.

"Oh Bats, don't talk like that." Robin begged through small sobs that threatened to overwhelm his body. Still, he reached up and removed the domino mask that covered his eyes, letting his fall to the ground.

Bruce smiled at he looked up into the brilliant blue eyes of his young ward- son. He saw tears in them, threatening to spill out any second.

"Dick, I'm - I'm so," he coughed roughly. " I'm so proud of you."

"Bruce." Robin sobbed, hugging the broken body to his chest, tears raining down. "Please, don't leave me. The world needs Batman. I need Batman."

"The world needs Batman, but it doesn't need Bruce Wayne." The heroes eyes were already starting to fog over. Robin glanced worriedly at the ravished arm again, feeling sick at the sight of it. How could Bruce recover from that?

"_I_need Bruce Wayne." Robin whispered.

"I'm so sorry. Tell everyone that- that I'm sorry." There was desperation in his voice.

"Bruce, Batman can't die!"

"No Dick, Batman can't die." His voice was getting weaker and weaker. It hurt Robin to see the hero like this, reduced to a broken body, when he used to be, as Robin saw it, the greatest hero in the whole world. He was only human, but so much stronger than any other. That's what made him the best, the fact that he was only human. None of the other heroes would ever come close in Robin's eyes because they would never understand what it was like to be only human, yet rise above the rest. Bruce was Batman only because instead of waiting for things to change, he went out and changed them. Batman couldn't die...

"Dick," Bruce whispered, reaching up his good arm and running it down Robin's now tear-stained face. "Batman can't die. Promise me this."

Sniffing, Robin nodded, unable to speak.

Bruce took a shaky breath and reached for the Batman cowl. He set it down at his side, laying down forever his mantle as the Dark Knight. Robin knew that with no Batman, there was no Robin. No Dynamic Duo. It was over. The dream, or nightmare, or whatever it was, was finally ending and Robin was finally waking up, finding himself where he was when he'd fallen asleep: alone.

Looking up into Robin's glistening blue eyes one last time Bruce whispered with his last strength "Dick, I-" he coughed violently, gasping for breath. "I love you Dick."

"I," Robin sniffed. "I love you too Bruce." And with that, Bruce Wayne breathed his last, looking up into the eyes of his ward, his protégé, his son. Robin gently closed those dark eyes, making it seem as he were only sleeping. Sleeping... As Bruce fell asleep Robin was waking up, seeing the world as it really was. With Bruce died, so did the Boy Wonder, for what was Robin without Batman?

Robin gently set Bruce's head down, standing and surveying the shadows around him. They were Batman's shadows and this was Batman's city. Bruce was right, Batman couldn't die, but Dick wasn't ready for Robin to die either. He was too young. Bending down, he took the cowl, Batman's cowl, from where it lay at Bruce's side. Robin would never be able to wear it, never. The city needed Batman and so did Robin. And Dick needed Bruce. But Bruce was gone and Batman was slowly fading with him.

Then Robin heard a familiar chuckle, a maniacal laugh that filled Robin's nightmares, haunting him. No, why was _he_here? This was his fault. He'd taken everything from Robin. Robin knew he couldn't fight the Joker. Not without Bruce. No, not without Batman. It was over, there was nothing left. Robin couldn't the Joker, so the Joker would win. It was over...Robin looked down to where Bruce lay.

_"No Dick," _Bruce's words rang in Robin's head._ "Batman can't die."  
><em>  
>Robin couldn't fight the Joker, but Batman could. And someone had to fight the Joker, someone had to keep going, fight to make the change he wanted to see. He looked down at the cowl in his hand and knew what he had to do.<p>

Robin- no Dick, received an incoming transmission on his com. Tuning in, he listened for the message. It was Superman.

"Superman in. We um," he cleared his throat, emotion in his voice. "We heard that the Batman fell."

"No," Dick answered, taking a deep breath and putting on his deepest, roughest voice. "Robin fell, but the Batman lives."

Turning off the com, Dick turned to where the Joker now stood, the villain smiling as he saw Bruce's body on the ground.

"Well, well, well, Boy Blunder. Looks like the great Batman finally fell."

"You're wrong." Dick pulled the cowl over his head, his own mask lying forgotten on the ground. "The Batman's not dead."

The Joker laughed fiendishly, shaking his head. "You'll never be the Batman. He's twice anything you'll ever hope to be."

Dick smiled, his eyes burning as the eyes of Gotham's hero. "There's only one way to find out." And with that, Batman ran after the Joker, who, upon seeing the lights in his eyes, had fled. The League would find Bruce's body; they would take care of everything. Maybe the Joker was right: maybe he never would live up to Bruce, but Bruce was right, Batman couldn't die. He was the hero Gotham needed. He'd keep running because he could take it. He was a hero, a silent guardian, the Dark Knight.

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><p><strong>How'd ya like the little Dark Knight thingy at the end? I don't own that either, BTW, that's from the Dark Knight movie, only altered a wee bit. Commisioner Gordon says those lines to his cute little son at the end of the movie.<strong>

**Well, that's all! Review? Please? Catch ya on the flip side!**

**Alex**


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